SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Lauri Markkanen had 29 points, Keyonte George added 28 points and the Utah Jazz held on to beat San Antonio 127-114 on Saturday night, snapping the Spurs' league-high eight-game winning streak.
San Antonio center Victor Wembanyama marked his return to the starting lineup with 32 points, seven rebounds, five blocks and three assists in 27 minutes and 42 seconds. It was Wembanyama’s first start since Nov. 14 against Golden State, when
he suffered a strained left calf that led to a 12-game absence.
Utah has beaten two of the top three teams in the NBA on successive nights after knocking off Eastern Conference-leading Detroit 131-129 on Friday.
Walter Clayton Jr. scored 17 points and Jusuf Nurkic added 16 for the Jazz, who have won two straight after four consecutive losses.
Keldon Johnson added 27 points and 10 rebounds for San Antonio and Stephon Castle had 20 points.
The Spurs were without De’Aaron Fox, who missed the game with tightness in his left adductor.
Utah took a lead midway through the second quarter and did not relinquish it. The Jazz lead grew to 17 points and it did not dip below 10 points in the third quarter before the Spurs rallied in the fourth.
Wembanyama sprinted down the lane and emphatically threw down a one-handed dunk as the Spurs were rallying from a double-digit deficit early in the fourth quarter. Wembanyama’s subsequent free throw cut Utah’s once-sizeable lead to 104-101 with 8:49 remaining in the game.
The game marked the first consecutive home games for the Spurs in six weeks. San Antonio spent 28 of the previous 34 days on the road, including the semifinals and finals of the NBA Cup in Las Vegas.
San Antonio lost to the New York Knicks in the NBA Cup final, but the championship does not count toward the NBA standings or statistics.
Jazz: Host Boston on Tuesday.
Spurs: Host Cleveland on Monday.
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